Border sheriffs given new weapons to disperse migrant crowds

Deputies are being trained how to use chemical ball and tear gas launchers
The weapons are intended to help law enforcement manage crowds
Funding for the program follows hundreds storming the border in March

Updated: Aug 14, 2024 / 10:04 AM EDT

(NewsNation) — A sheriff’s office on the border is equipping deputies with less-lethal weapons meant to be shot in the direction of migrants in an effort to help security without fatally harming anyone.

NewsNation got an exclusive look into the training, as deputies of the Kinney County Sheriff’s Department were taught how to use pepper ball launchers and tear gas launchers. Sheriff Brad Coe says this is a precautionary measure that can act as a deterrent rather than a means of causing harm.

The Byrna launchers hold about 180 rounds and shoot out a chemical that irritates the eyes, throat and nose. They are not meant to be fired at migrants but rather at the ground around them to disperse crowds.

The weapons are intended to help law enforcement officials manage crowds and situations more safely, reducing the need for physical confrontation. The equipment, paid for by a state grant approved by the county, is also designed to minimize injury to both deputies and migrants.

Coe advocated for the implementation of these weapons following an incident in El Paso in March when hundreds of migrants stormed the U.S.-Mexico border, resulting in many migrants and law enforcement getting injured.

Authorities say migrants are not only cutting the concertina wire strung along the border, but soldiers are also facing heightened aggression from these migrants.

While human rights groups are arguing that law enforcement is violating constitutional and human rights, Sherriff Coe says it is crucial in helping border officials prevent chaos.

“The whole purpose of that is in the event something happens in the area, we have to deploy to Eagle Pass. Hopefully, we don’t, but we will be able to help out in Eagle Pass or Del Rio wherever any event happens,” Coe told NewsNation. “My thinking is that if El Paso had them on hand, people wouldn’t have been hurt. Because there are some migrants that got hurt on that rush on the border, National Guard got hurt, Border Patrol got hurt. If they had those on hand, I don’t think anyone would’ve gotten hurt.”